Description

Chiboni is a wonderfully challenging pitch of slab climbing at the base of Rappel Rock. You can use this as a starting pitch for any of the lines that head for the tree ledge where the Standard Route/Black Quacker end their first pitches. Start a bit left of the toe of the buttress, move up and around the right end of a low roof and then up the undulating face above. As I said above, there are some good stretches between bolts and you'll have to keep your head about you. A Rap Rock classic!!

Apparently a Chiboni is a sort of Russian bagpipe also called a Gudastviri. Not sure if that's where the name came from, just what a web search turned up. The gudastviri is a droneless, double-chantered, horn-belled bagpipe played in Georgia. The term comes from the words guda (bag) and stviri (whistling). In some regions, the instrument is called the chiboni, stviri, or tulumi.

Assuming the bolts are still where they were, I would classify VC as "mentally absorbing" rather than scary. Where it's 5.11a, the bolt is nearby. As you get above the bolt, the climbing gets easier at exactly the rate necessary to keep panic at bay as the bolt recedes. After doing the 5.6 moves to gain the ledge I looked down and saw nothing but rope, the bolt was out of sight. Perfect. The day I did the Chiboni/QD/VC combo, Steiger was there making drawings for his guidebook. The Summit Hut guide said VC was 5.10 but I had heard it was harder. I yelled down to John "Hey is that 5.11 ?". He said "Yes". I said "cool, my first 5.11 flash". He said "Mine too !".

Jbak, great anecdote. Isn't it amazing how the farther you get above the gear the more likly it becomes your going to onsite the pitch. I miss the old days sometimes. It's too easy to go out and clip bolts now. No more pumping yourself up for the "headpoint". Times change, I've gone to the dark side, like so many others. Every now and then it's good to jump on a route like Voodoo Child or Straight Arrow. Just you remind yourself of the way things were, "back in the day".

James if you like slabs the place to go is Out of Towners Dome in the East Stronghold. Not only the best but probably also the hardest. The other good ones on Rap are Voodoo Child and Black Magic Woman

Comming in from the left does one use the underside of the roof as a layback, or the crack where the roof meets the slab? I started using the little crack but thought it was a bit easier standing up and unclinging the underside of the roof, however that requires blind groping.

Climbing directly straight up to the right side of the roof looks much harder than traversing in from upper left.

Was there a pin under the roof in the past? Small TCUs are a chore to get in. After the roof things become manageable, but up to, and around the roof is tough to climb and protect. Great pitch!

Up until a few years ago there was a piton at the roof prior to the first bolt. I've climbed it both with and without the piton and believe that despite the gear being adequate it ups the commitment level.

I tend to start slightly to the left, place gear in the obvious weakness in the roof, and then move to the right where the slab is less blank. Never seen anyone else do it so there may be a better way.

I just climbed this for the first time and had a blast! Classic slab climbing. A strong head required, but nothing a locker on your quick draw can't ease. I climbed it in a warm spell in February and the temps were in the 60's and just perfect for high friction. I would not get on this on a slimy, hot day. I agree with Hendrixson's route finding beta. And yeah, the old SMC's are a little loose.